The Blitzkrieg Chapter Summary

With the Blitzkrieg in full swing, a staggering number of houses and businesses were reduced to bombed-out rubble. Consequently, a large population of London residents had fled to the countryside, thus leaving their homes and businesses unwatched. These people fled often in such haste that they left valuables and priceless keepsakes behind. Many valuables were left as they had no means by which to transport them, nor a place for safe storage. After the air raids of the Blitzkrieg, looters would go to the newly bombed buildings and take items of value. To counteract this, Parliament passed legislation to put guards on newly bombed buildings to deter looters. This tactic helped many people--those who chose to stay in London and other target

From this, factories were converted and unused buildings were reclaimed to mass-produce the supplies that the troops and the citizens needed for the war effort. One author, Norman Longmate, examined the lives of those in London during World War II and the Blitzkrieg. He compiled accounts from many different people covering various walks of life. The accounts he includes are presented in chronological order and show the daily life of the citizens of the area for the major span of the war. The book immediately goes into the accounts and details of the people he interviewed. In the opening pages, Longmate gives a illustrative account of the beginning of war and the country’s shift to produce. In one quote the person recounts; “This is what brought home to most people the real meaning of the crisis. The speed and efficiency with which 38 million masks were assembled and distributed - though there were as yet no special masks for babies or small children- was remarkable and encouraging. In Woodford, 800 voluntary workers labored day and night to complete the job in five days. In Luton hundreds of hat-workers were called in to help; in Dorchester, the prisoners in the jail lent a hand.” This account illustrates to the reader that although many citizens may have lacked comprehension of the full scope of war being declared the government, they understood the urgency of acting quickly and were willing to do their part in accomplishing whatever was needed for the war